Trinity God

June 29, 2020 Monday Message:

It’s summertime and we’ve all sheltered-in-place far too long, so let’s have a little fun for a few weeks with Norton’s Bible Trivia! Here we go!

Question: If the ‘Our Father’ God, His Son Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit were all in the same room, how many people are in that room?  

Answer: One. God can appear to us in three distinct forms, but they are all the one true God. There IS only one God. 

God is omnipresent, meaning he can be everywhere-at-once.  He could be on the throne in heaven (which is a metaphor, by the way…) while Jesus walks with us on the earth at the same time.  The Holy Spirit can be with us now while Father God reigns over the universe from heaven, with Jesus at his right hand. They’re all the same God - One God.

Sometimes when I’m speaking or writing, I might start out talking about ‘Jesus’ and conclude by saying ‘God did this for us.’ No, I’m not confused. It’s just that in my mind, there really is only one God. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” are of one mind, share the same goals and values.

We’re supposed to ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray to Our Father in Heaven in Jesus’ name. But if we mix-up the names, God can figure it out. He’s really smart!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

God's Children

June 22, 2020 Monday Message:

“We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ returns.” John 3:2a

That settles it! Believers have all been adopted into the Holy Family. That’s why, in some denominations, the members call each other, “brother,” and “sister.” We’re all family now, and that’s HUGE!

But the Good News is that there’s even more yet to come! When Jesus returns to separate the sheep from the goats, we’ll be with the group that gets to see heaven from the inside! Everybody say, “baa!”

The goats will be some distance away, cursed with a perpetual wish to join the sheep, but at that point it’s no longer possible. That’s why TODAY is the accepted day to come to Jesus. Tomorrow may be too late!

God’s blessings - stay safe!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Monday Message is also available at:

http://www.mondaymessage-norton.blogspot.com/

Prodigal Father

June 15, 2020 Monday Message:

Jesus speaking, concluding the parable of the Prodigal Son: “He returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 NLT

The ultimate “repent and return” story has to be the Prodigal Son. This foolish son disrespected his father by asking for his share of the inheritance while the father was still alive. Then he abandoned the family business, went to the big city and squandered a fortune on wine, women and song.

When the money ran out, he was forced to accept employment tending pigs, unclean, un-kosher animals. He had reached his ‘bottom,’ realizing that the staff back home lived far better than he. Perhaps if he confessed his errant ways, his father would allow him to return as one of the servants.

The son returned home to do just that - and surprise! – the father saw him while he was still a long way off! Apparently the father had been watching for him, waiting for him, hoping against all odds that the son would come to his senses and return. The father never gave up on this rebellious, wayward kid. He wrapped him in a fine robe, put the family crest back on his finger, and invited everyone. “Let’s have a bar-b-cue and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found!”

This parable is about “repent and return,” but it’s every bit as much about the unconditional agape love the father has for each of his children. There is no sin so great that it cannot be forgiven, and God is in the ‘second-chance’ business. He wants to include everyone!

I’ll be teaching Jesus calming the storm, Luke 8:22-25 on our Facebook Live Stream Wednesday 7pm. See you there!

God’s blessings on you - stay safe!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Living Water for All!

June 8, 2020 Monday Message:

“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’” John 4:9 NIV

Jesus, a Rabbi, speaking directly with a woman? Unheard of! Furthermore, Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along at all. This inherent hate was a ‘racial prejudice’ problem. Therefore they avoided any contact with each other. Example: To get from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jews would routinely go west about 10 miles, travel up the coast, and then back east about 5 miles rather than travel in a straight line across Samaria, adding an extra day to their journey rather than meet a Samaritan.

The Jews claimed that they were racially ‘pure,’ while the Samaritans had inter-married. Jews worshiped at the Temple in Jerusalem; Samaritans worshiped at a mountain in their own land. In their minds, they couldn’t be more different. (But – surprise - if you go back a few generations, they’re probably cousins!)

Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for a drink, and she explains how socially unacceptable that would be since she is a Samaritan woman, and Jesus is a Jewish Rabbi. But Jesus as much as says, “We’re not going to let that come between us, are we? I could give you living water, and you would never thirst again!”

As usual, Jesus had the right answer – the Samaritan woman just hadn’t asked the right question yet. She’s trying: “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” But her question shouldn’t have been about water. Her question should have been about forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the presence of the Father.

Woman: “I know that the Messiah, the Christ, is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Jesus: “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

So the woman brought the townspeople to meet Jesus, he stayed with the Samaritans for two days, and because of his teaching many more became believers.

Nearly two weeks later, the worldwide protests following the murder of George Floyd have turned into demands for inclusion of people of all races, specifically black people, and to put an end to excessive violence by our police. If the ‘Woman at the Well’ story is any clue, Jesus would have jumped right in the middle of the fray and started teaching about the Kingdom, to ALL of God’s people. If you’re sometimes unsure how to handle a situation, just ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” Then do that. It’s the right thing to do.

I’ll be teaching in-depth about the parables in Luke 8:1-18 on our Facebook Live Stream Wednesday 7pm. See you there!

God’s blessings on you as we start this new week - xstay safe!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Monday Message is also available at:

http://www.mondaymessage-norton.blogspot.com/

Pentecost

June 1, 2020 Monday Message:

“Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:4a

The Christian Church celebrates three major events:

1. Christmas, the coming to earth of the Son of God.

2. Easter or Resurrection Sunday, when Jesus conquered sin and death. And,

3. Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given to the believers.

And my question to you is, if you could go back in time, if you had to pick only one, “Which of these events would you attend?”

My answers may be different from yours, but if forced to make a choice, I think I’d skip Christmas. Obviously Jesus coming to earth is HUGE, but at that point he’s just a baby in a stable with a few angels overhead. After all, it seems that the older Jesus gets, the more exciting the story becomes.

It’s harder to choose between Easter and Pentecost. Easter had the trial, the scourging, and the crucifixion, culminating with the empty tomb on Easter morning. Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, which lets us all know that life after this life is possible. But it seemed, at the time, that Jesus’ earthly ministry had been sidelined.

Pentecost, on the other hand, is the re-birth of Jesus’ ministry on earth. We consider it the birthday of the church. Listen to this: The believers were all together, praying, waiting for a sign, when little flames fell from the sky and landed on each person, a visible sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Then the disciples started speaking, and all the foreigners in Jerusalem for Shavuot understood them in their native language. Simon Peter preached the best Come-to-Jesus sermon ever, gave the altar call, 3,000 people were baptized that day, and the Christian Church was up and running! That excites me! Maybe I could have helped with the baptisms – who knows!

I’ll be teaching in depth about Pentecost on our Facebook Live Stream Wednesday 7pm. Have your Bibles open to Acts ch. 2. See you there! “Jesus in the City Fellowship” on FB.

God’s blessings on you and your loved ones – stay safe!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship.

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406